The math
- An average visit runs $70–$174 for dogs and $53–$124 for cats (BestMoney/AVMA) — but the visit isn't the prize: a new client is worth $10,000+ in lifetime care (Peerlogic).
- 24–28% of calls to the average clinic go unanswered, spiking toward 60% at peak hours; 85% of missed callers won't call back; and 90%+ of appointments are still booked by phone (Peerlogic).
"Every new-client call that rings out while your techs are holding a scared dog is $10K+ of lifetime care booking at the clinic down the road."
How she handles your calls
- A new client calls at 4:45 PM pickup rush → a new-client exam booked into your real schedule.
- "Is it time for her shots?" → a wellness visit on the calendar; what's due stays the doctor's call at the visit.
- A worried "she's not eating" → triage-gated: urgent symptoms go to a human now, otherwise the earliest sick-visit slot.
- 2 AM and something's wrong → your nearest-emergency-vet script, read first, verbatim.
And the hard line: she won't give medical advice — not "should I induce vomiting," not a dose, not a "she'll be fine." That's deliberate, and it protects you. Every one of those gets an honest "I can't advise on that" plus your triage protocol, and your DVM can read the exact rules before anything touches the phones. End-of-life calls get a warm, unhurried human path immediately.
Quick answers
"My dog ate chocolate — what do I do?" — Never advice: she triages immediately, to a human during hours or your nearest-ER script after.
"Are you taking new clients?" — Your configured answer, with real open slots offered on the same call.
"Can I talk to a person?" — Instant transfer — and emergency symptoms skip straight to it.